The Bloody Crown
by sofia313
Summary: "What does this girl has to do with anything?" Elijah asked. "She's pregnant," Sophie stated calmly. "You're the father. She's carrying your child."
1. Impossible

**Chapter 1**

 **Impossible**

The Lafayette Cemetery

Elijah followed the young witch called Sophie Deveraux, he was unsure of what to expect. What was going on in New Orleans? For some reason the witches had lured Klaus here and apparently Marcel, who was now ruling the city was somehow controlling the witches. None of that sounded good to Elijah, especially since he couldn't find his brother. Sophie walked through the gates and Elijah tried to follow her, but he was being stopped by an invisible wall.

"This is sacred ground, which means vampires have to be invited in," Sophie said. "But since I'm desperate, come on in."

Elijah frowned and took a step ahead.

"We can talk freely here," Sophie continued and marched past few very old tombstones.

"Then I suggest you start talking," Elijah replied. "What did your sister want with Niklaus?"

Sophie stopped walking in front of a crypt and turned to face Elijah.

"Isn't it obvious? We have a vampire problem and we need help. Marcel has an army backing him. The witches have been trying to fight back. We haven't had much luck, until my sister Jane-Anne met a girl. She was passing through the Quarter."

Elijah expected Sophie to continue, but she didn't.

"What does this girl has to do with anything?" Elijah finally asked.

"Well… I would say she has a lot to do with everything. And I think you know her."

Elijah's eyebrows furrowed.

"What?"

Sophie turned towards a larger crypt.

"Bring her out!"

Four women came out of the crypt, Elijah's eyes widened as he recognized one of them. The young woman who had beautiful pale blue eyes, light brown hair and the warmest smile Elijah had ever seen. Now she looked very frightened and she had wrapped her arms tightly around her.

"Cate?" he murmured disbelievingly. "What… What is this, why is she here?"

"Elijah?" she gasped when she noticed him. "What's going on?"

Elijah pressed his lips together and turned his eyes to Sophie.

"Start talking," he demanded. "Why is she here?"

Sophie crossed her arms and glanced at Cate.

"Tell him."

Cate was still staring at Elijah, she looked beyond confused.

"Why is she here?" Elijah repeated, this time his tone of voice was warning. He had no idea what was going on here, but he certainly wasn't going to let Sophie and her friends to drag an innocent girl into this. Cate didn't have anything to do with any of this. She and Elijah had shared a bed once couple of months ago, but she didn't even know what he really was.

"She's pregnant," Sophie stated calmly.

Elijah's eyes narrowed.

"That makes your actions even more despicable, you think you can use her as some kind of leverage? You'll let her go right now; she has nothing to do with this."

"She does," Sophie argued. "You're the father. She's carrying your child."

Elijah stared at her disbelievingly for a moment before he managed to reply.

"That's impossible," he snorted. "I don't know what kind of game you're trying to play here, but I can assure you that…"

"It's true," Sophie cut in. "Ask her."

Elijah looked at Cate who was still staring at him. He could see the fear and confusion in her eyes. Well, he couldn't really blame her. He raised his hands in surrender as he slowly walked over to her.

"Cate," he said as calmingly as he could. "Are you alright?"

"No," she murmured tensely. "I want to know what's going on here. Why… Are these people your friends?"

"No," Elijah replied. "Have they hurt you?"

"Not really, but they kidnapped me. What do they want?"

Elijah pressed his lips together and looked at her stomach. She was wearing an oversized sweater, but he could tell that she really was pregnant.

"Alright… Everything is going to be fine, I'll get you out of here," he assured. "Just tell them who the father of your child is."

She tensed and lowered her head.

"Cate? It's alright, just tell them his name."

"It's you," Sophie stated. "Believe me, we're sure. My sister wouldn't have sacrificed her life if she wouldn't have been sure."

"Cate?" Elijah said, ignoring Sophie. Obviously he couldn't be the father; that was impossible. "Tell me. Please."

Slowly she looked up and wrapped her arms around her.

"You're the father," she said quietly.

"No, that's not possible. As I told you, I can't have children."

"It seems that you can," Sophie argued. "We're not exactly sure how this is possible, but it is. She's carrying your child."

Elijah shook his head.

"No, that's not…"

"Compel her if you don't believe me," Sophie stated. "There's no vervain in her system."

Cate's eyes widened in fear.

"What?" No, please, don't…"

"It's alright," Elijah said softly as he looked into her eyes. He needed to know. "Who is the father of your child?"

"You," she replied mechanically.

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yes."

"Isn't there any other option?"

"No."

She blinked her eyes when Elijah turned away. How… How was this possible?

"What… What did you do to me?" she murmured.

"I'm sorry," he managed to say. "I needed to know. I…"

She backed away when he tried to move closer.

"Don't touch me."

"Cate, I'm sorry, I would never hurt you."

She didn't say anything, he could sense her fear.

"I'm taking her with me," he stated icily.

Sophie shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but we can't let you do that, not yet. We need your help."

"With what exactly?"

"We want to run Marcel and his vampires out of town. Klaus is the key. Everything Marcel knows about being a vampire, he learned from Klaus. Marcel trusts him, looks up to him. He won't see the betrayal coming."

Elijah's eyes narrowed.

"I'm sure you're aware my brother Niklaus doesn't like to be told what to do."

Sophie nodded.

"That's why I brought you here. Convince Klaus to help us and no harm will come to her or the child."

"That sounds remarkably like blackmail," Elijah stated icily.

"Like I said, I'm desperate," Sophie replied. "Her life is linked to mine, so I wouldn't try to take her from here by force if I were you. Convince Klaus to help us and you'll have her and the child."


	2. Choice

**Chapter 2**

 **Choice**

 _Atlanta, 11 weeks earlier_

 _Cate felt very peaceful as she stared at the ceiling. The bed was more than comfortable and the sheets were soft as silk. She had never been in a hotel suite before and she would have never thought that her evening would end like this. The evening that should have been one of the worst ones in her life._

 _"Hey?" a man lying beside her said after a long silence. "Are you alright?"_

 _"Yeah," she replied. "I'm fine."_

 _"Are you sure? Did I…hurt you?"_

 _She rolled on her side in order to face him._

 _"I'm fine," she repeated. "Really. You didn't force me into anything, I wanted this."_

 _He also rolled on his side._

 _"You should have told me," he stated tensely._

 _She smiled; he was so different than any man she had met before._

 _"Would you have done this if I would have told you?"_

 _"No," he replied after a moment of silence._

 _"There you have it."_

 _He frowned._

 _"Cate…"_

 _"No need to worry, I don't expect anything from you," she assured. "And I don't regret anything."_

 _"You still should have told me. I know that I hurt you and I would have been much gentler if you would have just said something."_

 _"It didn't matter. Everyone has a first time and I wanted it to be with you."_

 _"Why?" he asked. "You barely know me."_

 _"Exactly," she replied. "Right now I see you as the most perfect man in the world; I haven't seen your flaws. I'll only remember how much I enjoyed spending this evening with you. You were kind and polite, a true gentleman."_

 _He was quiet for a moment before replying._

 _"I'm glad you feel that way. I also enjoyed this evening and I think you're a very beautiful and delightful woman."_

 _"You know you already got me in your bed, you don't have to flatter me anymore."_

 _His eyes widened._

 _"No, no, I didn't…"_

 _"I was just teasing you, Elijah," she giggled and reached out to kiss his cheek. "You're cute when you're uncomfortable."_

 _He smiled._

 _"Thank you. I think."_

 _"You're welcome."_

 _She stretched her arms and leaned her head on his chest. The penetration had hurt and she did feel sore, but she really didn't regret anything. What had happened had been her choice. Not Simon's, not anyone else's, hers. When she had arrived at the hotel, she had only meant to drink enough to numb herself before she would have to sleep with a man who was old enough to be her father._

 _That man had offered a lot of money for her virginity and Simon had kept pressuring her until she had reluctantly agreed. Unfortunately her brother knew how to make her do what he wanted. Once again he had tried to force her to clean up his mess. He had managed to convince her that she would be a horrible, selfish person if she wouldn't help him. Everything that would happen to him would be her fault. Nothing was ever his own fault._

 _He had messed with the wrong people and now he needed a lot of money to get himself out of the mess he had created. As always, Cate would have helped him, no matter what it would cost to her. She had been at the hotel bar when she had met Elijah. There had been something about him that had made her feel safe with him._

 _He hadn't tried to seduce her or manipulate her; he had been polite and respectful. After they had talked for a while, she had made her decision. Her body belonged to her and she wasn't going to sell it. She had the right to give it to whoever she wanted. It was her choice. Simon was her brother, but he was also a grown man, he needed clean up his own messes._

 _Right now she felt nothing but peaceful. After Elijah was asleep, she got up as carefully as she could, she didn't want to wake him up. Quietly she got dressed and looked at him for a moment. This was how she wanted to remember him. The most perfect man in the world._

 _"Thank you," she whispered and tiptoed to the door._

 _She had just reached the elevator when she felt her phone vibrating in her bag and picked it up._

 _"Hello, Simon," she said calmly._

 _" **Where the fuck are you?"** her brother snapped. **"Roark called, his friend waited for you for almost two hours!"**_

 _"I changed my mind. I didn't want to do it."_

 ** _"You… Have you lost your mind?! Get your fucking ass there right now; maybe I can still fix this…"_**

 _"No."_

 ** _"What?"_**

 _"No. My body isn't for sale."_

 ** _"Catie… You know why you must do this. Roark is going to hurt us both if he doesn't get his money."_**

 _"I don't owe him anything."_

 ** _"He won't care. You're my sister, so he's going to make us both pay. Please, Catie, please, do this for us."_**

 _"I can't."_

 ** _"Are you deaf, you don't have a choice…"_**

 _"No, I meant that I can't sell my virginity because I'm not a virgin anymore."_

 ** _"What? What the fuck are you talking about?"_**

 _"I just had sex with someone. I'm not a virgin."_

 _A long silence followed her words._

 ** _"You… You stupid little whore! Do you have any idea what you've done?!"_**

 _"It was my choice…"_

 _" **Your choice?! Well, I hope you liked it because you're going to spend a lot of time on your back when Roark catches you. He's going to sell you until every penny is paid."**_

 _"What about you then?" Cate asked. Her voice was unnaturally calm. "What is he going to do to you?"_

 _Simon let out a mocking laughter._

 ** _"Nothing. You see, I made a deal with him. I gave you to him in exchange for my debt. All you had to do was spread your fucking legs for his friend and the debt would have been paid. Now… Well, you just made this a lot harder for yourself."_**

 _"Goodbye, Simon," Cate heard herself saying before hanging up. She was completely numb. She needed to leave town right now. Leave her whole life behind._


	3. Power, loyalty, family

**Chapter 3**

 **Power, loyalty, family**

 _"She's pregnant. You're the father. She's carrying your child."_

Elijah was desperately trying to clear his thoughts, but he really couldn't do that. How could this be possible? Was it possible? Could this be some kind of trick? He still wasn't completely sure about that, but he needed to help Cate. If, by some miracle, she was really carrying his child… The thought felt nothing but unreal. He didn't know what to think.

What he knew for sure was that Cate was pregnant and she had been dragged in the middle of this. Her fear had most certainly been real. She hadn't been the sweet, smiling girl he had met in Atlanta; she had been like a cornered animal. She most certainly didn't deserve any of this. He had thought about her a lot after the night they had spent together and he would have wanted to contact her. Unfortunately she had left before he had even managed to find out her last name.

It wasn't difficult to tell that she had been through a lot after that night. He wasn't going to let anyone hurt her, whether the child was his or not. A child… A son or a daughter… No, he couldn't think about that right now, he needed to focus. Convincing Niklaus to help him would be no easy task. Fortunately he had finally found his brother who was standing on the balcony of one of the finest hotels in the city. He was leaning on the railing, carelessly observing the celebrating crowd on the streets.

"Evening, Elijah," Klaus stated without turning to face his brother.

"Niklaus," Elijah replied.

"What an entirely unwelcome surprise."

"And what an entirely unsurprising welcome," Elijah retorted. "I need you to come with me."

"I'm not going anywhere until I find out who's conspiring against me."

Elijah hesitated for a brief moment before replying.

"I believe I just found that out for you."

Slowly Klaus turned to look at him.

"Really? Do tell."

"I will, but right now I need you to come with me. Please, brother, this is very important."

Klaus looked at him piercingly and crossed his arms.

"And where exactly are we going?"

"To the Lafayette Cemetery."

"Why?"

"Well… It's a long story. I'll tell you everything on the way."

* * *

45 minutes later

Klaus stared at Sophie for a while before bursting into laughter.

"I'm sorry," he chuckled. "This is just…hilarious. You must really think I'm an idiot."

"It's true," Sophie replied. "The girl is carrying your brother's child."

"Sure she is. You do know that vampires can't procreate?"

"Normally that's true, but somehow your brother got her pregnant."

"Oh please," Klaus snorted and turned to look at Elijah. "You don't actually believe this nonsense, do you?"

"I do," Elijah replied firmly. "I'm asking you to help me, brother."

Klaus couldn't believe how foolish Elijah was; couldn't he see that this was obviously a trick? Apparently Klaus needed to show that to him. He placed a charming smile on his face and looked at Sophie.

"Alright then. I would like to meet this miracle girl."

Sophie nodded and told couple of other witches to bring the girl here. Klaus crossed his arms and observed the human who was walking between the witches. She was a short and petite girl who had an oval face and large light blue eyes. Her skin was pale and she looked quite delicate, like a porcelain doll. So scared and helpless… No wonder Elijah had bought this little bedtime story. His inner knight must have been thrilled by this little damsel in distress. Klaus' guess was that the girl was working for the witches and she seemed to be a very talented little actress.

"Are you alright, Cate?" Elijah asked.

She didn't reply, she simply pressed her lips together. Klaus smiled and walked over to her. She tried to back away, but the witches blocked her way.

"Hello there," Klaus purred. "Aren't you a pretty little thing."

"What do you want?" she murmured tensely, she wasn't looking at him. She flinched when Klaus touched her cheek.

"Easy now, love. I just want to talk."

"Don't touch me!" she cried out when he took a hold of her chin.

"Niklaus…" Elijah started.

"I'm not going to hurt her, I just want the truth. If you want my help, you'll let me do this."

The girl started to struggle, but Klaus managed to force eye contact.

"It's alright, just relax, sweetheart. Everything is alright."

She stopped struggling and all her tension was gone.

"Everything is alright," he repeated softly.

"Everything is alright," she murmured.

"That's right. You're completely relaxed now, there's nothing to fear."

"Nothing to fear…"

"Good girl. Now tell me, who's the father of your child?"

"Elijah," she murmured.

Klaus frowned. The compulsion was working, he could tell, but somehow she was still lying to him. Apparently he needed to try something else.

"You'll be completely relaxed," he hummed softly and cupped her face. "Don't fight me."

She gasped when he penetrated into her mind. He barely managed to get started when someone yanked him away from her.

"That's enough," Elijah snapped.

The girl was trembling and her eyes were watering up. She seemed to be shaken to her core.

"Cate…" Elijah started.

"Stay away from me!" she shouted. "All of you!"

"Well," Klaus hummed. "It seems that she hasn't been with anyone else after you… did the honors, so apparently the child, whatever it is, really is yours."

"That's what I've been saying," Sophie snorted. "My sister gave her life to perform the spell she needed to confirm this pregnancy. Because of Jane-Anne's sacrifice, the lives of this girl and her baby are now controlled by us. We can keep them safe or we can kill them."

The girl gasped and Elijah moved protectively in front of her.

"If you don't help us take down Marcel, so help me, the girl won't live long enough to see her first maternity dress," Sophie continued.

"Enough of this," Elijah snapped. "If you want Marcel dead, he's dead. I'll do it myself."

"No," Sophie replied. "We can't, not yet. We have a clear plan that we need to follow, and there are rules."

"Well, unfortunately I've never been very good at following rules," Klaus huffed. "And I don't take orders from anyone."

"Niklaus," Elijah said tensely. "She's carrying my child."

Klaus looked at the girl who was still shaking. Then he looked at his brother. He could see that Elijah was willing to do anything to protect her and the child. Elijah had always been there for him, no matter what he had done. Elijah had always forgiven him. Klaus knew that if anything would happen to the girl or the child because of him, he would lose Elijah for good. The truth was that Klaus had already considered overthrowing Marcel. He wanted to be the king. He wanted what Marcel had. Power. Loyalty. Family. This whole thing could help him to achieve all that.

"Well," he stated after a long silence. "If I would choose to help you, there are things I want in return. And before you ask, none of those things are negotiable."

Sophie frowned.

"I thought I made the situation clear to you…"

"And I thought I told you that I don't take orders from anyone. So, let's talk, little witch."


	4. Somewhere safe

**Chapter 4**

 **Somewhere safe**

Cate struggled to pull herself together, she needed to think and fast. She needed to somehow get herself out of this mess. Herself and her child. The thought still felt more than foreign to her, she hadn't really comprehended it yet. She was going to become a mother… Maybe, if she would survive long enough. Cautiously she looked up and glanced at Elijah who was driving the car. The other man was sitting next to him and she was on the backseat.

She felt like an idiot. Did Elijah work for Roark? Had he managed to trick her completely? Well, he had most certainly lied to her about not being able to have children. She had probably offered him good laughs afterward. A stupid, naïve idiot who had believed his every word. Who had practically thrown herself at him.

And that thing he and the other man had done to her… Was it some kind of hypnosis? All she knew was that she never wanted to experience it again. Especially that thing the other man had done. She wasn't sure what it had been, but it had made her feel completely violated, like he would have somehow forced himself into her. Like he would have torn her clothes off and seen every part of her against her will. She couldn't let him do that again.

But how could she stop him? What were they going to do to her? If they worked for Roark, the answer was obvious, but if they didn't… When those women had kidnapped her, she had suspected that they were some kind of bounty hunters. She knew that Roark had offered a very generous reward to anyone who would bring Cate to him.

The reward was bigger than Simon's debt, so to Roark, this wasn't about the money. He probably wanted to make an example out of Cate. But what if Elijah didn't work for Roark? Cate couldn't understand most of the things she had heard at the cemetery, but she knew that she needed to find a way to escape, if she wanted to stay alive. Right now she needed to make sure that the two men wouldn't hypnotize her again. The best way to do that would probably be to play along until she would have an opportunity to escape.

"Cate?" Elijah's voice said after a moment of silence. They had just left the cemetery. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied as calmly as she could. "So…where are we going?"

"Somewhere safe. You need a place to stay and I want to offer you a good home."

"Oh. Thank you very much, you're very kind."

"I know you must be scared and confused right now, but everything is going to be alright, I promise."

She forced a smile on her face.

"I believe you."

Was he kidding? Did he honestly think that she would believe his promises? She swallowed when she noticed the other man staring at her through the rearview mirror. The smirk on his face made him even scarier.

"You know, love," he hummed. "I don't believe that I remembered to properly introduce myself. My apologies. I'm Klaus, Elijah's brother."

"Nice to meet you," she replied, trying her best to sound calm. "I'm Cate."

"That's a nice name. Is it short for something?"

"No, it's just Cate."

"Are you hungry?" Elijah asked. "You must be. What would you like to eat?"

"Anything is fine, thank you."

"How about some gumbo?" Klaus suggested. "We're in New Orleans after all." He paused and turned to look at Cate. "Have you ever tasted it?"

She struggled to keep the smile on her face.

"No, I haven't, but it sounds good. Thank you."

"Are you sure?" Elijah asked. "We can get you anything you want."

"Gumbo is fine," she replied. "And maybe few other things from a store?"

"Of course, anything you need."

"Thank you."

This could be her chance; she could make a run for it or scream for help…

"Here," Elijah said before she managed to properly formulate her thought. He was handing her a pen and a piece of paper. "Write down what you need, I'll go."

"No, no, you don't have to…"

"I insist. You wait here and rest, I'll be right back."

Damn it… So much for that plan. She wrote down few things, including a toothbrush, toothpaste, a shampoo, soap, a hairbrush and a bottle of peach ice tea. Hopefully that would make him to believe that she was actually going to do as she was being told. He glanced at her list and nodded.

"I'll be right back."

The next thing she realized was that she was in the car alone with Klaus. That wasn't good at all.

"I must say that I'm impressed," he stated after a moment of silence. "You're handling all of this quite well."

"I… I'm trying my best," she replied. "Thank you for taking me away from those women."

"Oh, my pleasure, love. Helping people is what I do."

Somehow she doubted that.

"So," he continued. "Tell me about yourself."

"There really isn't much to tell," she murmured.

"Come on now, we're practically family already. I want to know who you are. Where you come from."

"There really isn't anything interesting about me."

"I see. So, who's Roark?"

Cate froze and her heart skipped a beat.

"Who? I'm sorry, but I don't know any Roark," she managed to say.

"Oh, forgive me, love, my mistake."

This wasn't good at all; she was in a lot of trouble. Was he taunting her? Did he and Elijah really work for Roark? Was this some kind of game?

"You know," he continued after a moment of silence. "How about I just tell you something about myself?"

"Sure," she murmured.

"I'm very good at keeping secrets."

"Oh… Okay, that's…nice."

"I just thought that maybe you would like to know that. As I said, we're practically family already, so I would like us to be friends."

What was he saying? Was he blackmailing her? Why? What could he possibly want from her?

"Absolutely. That sounds nice."

"I'm glad to hear that."

She really needed to find a way to escape and fast. Thankfully she didn't have to continue the conversation with Klaus when Elijah returned. He had also got her the gumbo.

"Thank you," she said as he handed her a paper bag.

"You're welcome. I hope I remembered everything."

"I'm sure you did."

She struggled to stay calm as she noticed that they were driving away from the city. Their destination seemed to be a very old looking mansion that was surrounded by a tall fence.

"You live here?" she asked cautiously.

"We own this place, yes," Elijah replied. "This used to be the governor's mansion."

"Oh…"

The place was huge, who could afford a house like this? She realized that she hadn't asked what Elijah did for living. Not that it mattered; he would have probably lied to her anyway. He parked the car, got out and opened the door for her.

"Thank you."

Cautiously she followed him inside the house, Klaus was right behind her. It seemed that no one had lived here for a while.

"I apologize for the dust," Elijah said. "I'll have the whole mansion cleaned first thing in the morning."

"Okay," she murmured and looked around. She had never been in a place like this.

"Please, eat and rest," Elijah continued. "I'm sure this has been a very long day for you."

"Yeah."

"The bedroom is upstairs; I'll go and prepare it."

She tensed, but managed to smile. Apparently he expected her to share his bed. Was she supposed to play house with him and his brother? Let them both touch her? Would they use the hypnosis thing on her if she would refuse? Or maybe this was all just one big joke before they would take her to Roark. No. She needed to get out of here. She was so exhausted that she wouldn't be able to fight them, even if they wouldn't use the hypnosis. She had barely slept in days and the stress and the fear had taken most of her energy. Yet she couldn't rest, she needed to act before it would be too late.

"Go to the kitchen and eat something, sweetheart," Klaus stated before following Elijah upstairs.

This was her chance; she didn't care how long she would have to walk… The car keys. Elijah had left them on the table. She couldn't believe her luck; quickly she grabbed the keys and ran outside. She barely managed to start the car when the door opened and she was being pulled outside by Klaus.

"Going somewhere, love?" he asked smiling.


	5. Not like most men

**Chapter 5**

 **Not like most men**

Elijah zoomed downstairs as quickly as he could when he heard Cate screaming. His eyes widened when he saw Klaus carrying the struggling Cate bridal style.

"Niklaus! What do you think you're doing, let her go!"

"I don't think that's a good idea," he replied. "She just tried to steal your car."

"No, no!" Cate protested. "I didn't! I… It was a misunderstanding, I swear!"

Elijah could see that she was in panic; her heart was pounding like a drum.

"Niklaus, let her go," Elijah stated firmly.

Klaus rolled his eyes and placed her on the floor. She ran to Elijah as quickly as she could.

"I-I'm sorry," she said, struggling to sound calm. "I… I was just going to pick up something from the store, I'm sorry; I know I should have asked first before borrowing your car…"

"Borrowing?" Klaus chuckled. "Has anyone ever told you that you're a terrible liar, sweetheart?"

All color had left Cate's cheeks, she was terrified.

"I'm sorry," she said pleadingly. "I'm really sorry, please…"

"Cate…" Elijah started, but she grabbed his hand before he managed to continue.

"I wasn't running from you," she assured. "I want to be with you, I just… got scared. So much has happened and I… I wasn't thinking clearly. It won't happen again, I swear. Please forgive me."

He pulled away when she tried to kiss him.

"No, no, Cate, I'm not angry at you, of course not." He paused and sighed. "I'm so sorry, I should have realized… I should have explained everything to you, but I thought that you would like to rest first."

He couldn't believe that he hadn't seen how scared she had been. Well, of course she was scared, she had been kidnapped and now she was with two men she barely knew. It seemed that he was rusty as far as normal human interaction was concerned. It had been a while since he had socialized with humans who weren't a part of the supernatural world.

"Please, will you give me a chance to explain everything to you?" he asked.

She looked at him cautiously, he could sense her nervousness.

"What everything?"

He gestured towards the living room.

"Please."

She hesitated for a moment before heading to the living room. He noticed that she was very tense; she was hugging her upper body.

"Would you like something to eat or drink?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"What… What do you want to explain?" she murmured.

He hesitated, trying to choose his words carefully.

"Well… I didn't tell you everything about myself the night we met. I… I'm not like most men."

She swallowed; he could see the terror in her eyes.

"You know what, you really don't have to tell me," she said, forcing a fake smile on her face. "I don't know anything about you and I'll never tell anyone anything. There's nothing to tell, I don't know anything."

"No, no, it's not like that. I'm not a serial killer or anything."

Actually he kind of was, but this certainly wasn't the best time to go to that.

"I…"

"For heaven's sake," Klaus' voice suddenly snorted. Cate gasped when he appeared in front of her, using his vampire speed. His eyes were yellow and his fangs were out. "We're vampires. There, now you know, love."

Cate's mouth floundered open and closed, she looked utterly shocked.

"Niklaus," Elijah hissed.

"What? Someone had to tell her and it seemed that you weren't going to do that. Not any time soon."

"Cate?" Elijah said gently, ignoring his brother. "I know this is a lot to handle, but I can assure you that you're safe here. I would never hurt you."

She didn't say anything, but he noticed that her legs were shaking. Quickly he helped her to take a seat.

"This can't be happening," she murmured after a long silence. "I'm dreaming or losing my mind."

"You're not," Elijah replied. "I know you must have many questions…"

"Actually I don't," she stated and stood up. "I'm leaving."

"Cate…"

"You said that you wouldn't hurt me," she cut in. "Was that another lie?"

"No," Elijah assured quickly.

She looked at him and crossed her arms.

"Let me leave then."

"I'm sorry, but I can't."

She pressed her lips together and tried to march past him. He had no choice but to block her way.

"Let me go," she demanded.

"I can't. Please, there are things you don't know…"

"Let me go!" she shouted and tried to get past him. She was almost hysterical now; he didn't stop her when she punched his chest. She struggled to get past him and finally he had to grab her hands in order to stop her from hurting herself. That made her struggle even harder.

"Let me go!"

Tears were coursing down her cheeks, she looked beyond exhausted.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured.

She let out a weak sob before her body started to shake and she collapsed. The poor girl had reached her breaking point. Very gently he lifted her up into his arms and carried her upstairs. She wasn't struggling anymore; she was completely motionless in his arms. As gently as he was able, he carried her to the bed and laid her upon it.

"Rest, Cate," he said quietly as he pulled a blanket over her.

She didn't say anything; she simply curled up into a fetal position. He felt a sting in his heart as he looked at her. She was in this situation because of him.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

He would have wanted to somehow assure her that everything would be alright, but he had no idea how. All he could do was stay beside her bed until her body gave up and she fell asleep.


	6. Nightmares

**Chapter 6**

 **Nightmares**

 _"It's alright, Cate," a calming male voice said. "You're doing great."_

 _"It hurts," Cate sobbed._

 _The whole room was white. She was lying on the bed, her legs spread wide open. There were people around her, doctors and nurses. They were all smiling at her._

 _"You're doing great," one of the nurses said. "Just push."_

 _"I can't," Cate whined. "It hurts too much."_

 _"Yes you can, honey," Elijah's voice suddenly said._

 _Cate frowned when she saw him standing next to the bed, he was smiling at her._

 _"No… No, I don't want him here."_

 _"Why not?" one of the nurses asked smiling. "He would never hurt you."_

 _"No…" Cate murmured. "No, I don't want…"_

 _"Yes, you do, love," Klaus' voice purred._

 _He was standing on the other side of the bed, Cate gasped when he suddenly grabbed her chin._

 _"You will do whatever we want you to do," he hummed._

 _Cate opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She couldn't speak. She couldn't move. She was trapped._

 _"There, that's better," Klaus chuckled. "Isn't it, Elijah?"_

 _"Yes, it is," Elijah replied and kissed Cate's cheek while taking her hand. Klaus kissed her too and took her other hand. Cate tried desperately to look at the doctors and nurses, but none of them did anything. They just stood there smiling._

 _"Now push, honey," Elijah said. "Don't you want to see our baby?"_

 _No. No. No. The pain was horrible. Every second was torture. Tears were coursing down Cate's cheeks, but she couldn't make a sound. The pain lasted forever._

 _"This is so much fun!" Klaus chuckled. "I want to put my child into her next."_

 _"Sure," Elijah replied. "You can borrow her after I get bored."_

 _Cate felt that she couldn't take any more, she was praying for death._

 _"Oh dear," one of the nurses said. "She's bleeding a lot; I don't think that we can get the baby out."_

 _"I can help!" Klaus cheered. "Give me a knife."_

 _Cate looked at Elijah with her tearful eyes, silently begging him to help her. He smiled and caressed her cheek before kissing her forehead._

 _"Don't worry, honey. I would never hurt you."_

 _Cate tried to scream when his face changed and he grinned at her, revealing his fangs. All the doctors and nurses were vampires as well, they all grinned at her._

 _"You didn't really believe that, did you?" Elijah laughed and sank his fangs into her throat._

Cate's eyes flew open and she gasped for air. No, no, no… Quickly she touched her throat, but there was no wound. It had been a nightmare. Everything was fine. She was fine and…

"Miss?"

A scream escaped her throat when a strange woman was suddenly hovering over her. She got into a sitting position and backed away as quickly as she could.

"I'm sorry, miss, I didn't mean…" the woman started when the door flew open and Elijah stormed into the room.

"Cate!"

He stopped when he saw the woman.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Mikaelson, I was just dusting…"

"I told you to skip this room," Elijah cut in harshly.

"I'm really sorry, I forgot…"

"Just tell everyone not to come into this room before I say so."

"Yes, sir," the woman said quickly and glanced at Cate. "I'm really sorry, miss, I didn't mean to scare you."

Cate was still too upset to reply, she was desperately trying to remember everything that had happened yesterday. Had it all been a bad dream? Unfortunately not.

"Cate?" Elijah said after the woman had left. "Are you alright?"

"No," she murmured.

"Are you hurting?" he asked quickly.

She didn't know what to say, her nightmare still made her shiver.

"Cate?"

She backed away when he tried to approach her.

"Don't," she murmured. "Please."

"Alright," he said and raised his hands up. "Alright. I'll stay right here, but please, tell me are you hurting."

"No. Yes. I don't know."

He looked startled when she suddenly burst into tears. Normally she would have been embarrassed, but right now she didn't care. She had every right to be upset.

"Please, I beg you, tell me what's wrong," he pleaded.

Despite her tears, she broke into a hysterical giggle.

"Are you serious? Are you honestly asking me what's wrong?"

"My apologies," he said after a brief moment of silence. "I suppose that was a foolish question."

"You could say that," she murmured and buried her face in her hands. "Shit!"

Thankfully he was smart enough to stay quiet until she had managed to somehow pull herself together.

"I'm trying to wake up, but I can't," she murmured. "This is real, isn't it?"

"Yes," he replied gently.

"That's what I thought," she sighed. "Great, just perfect. Like my life wasn't messy enough already…" She paused and took a deep breath before looking at Elijah. "I'm going to be honest, I'm not sure if I can do this."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"This! All of this. Vampires, witches, babies… This is just… too much."

He nodded sympathetically.

"I understand and I'm so sorry that I got you into this. I… I wasn't supposed to be able to have children."

"How is this possible then?"

"I don't know, but I'll find out, I promise you."

Cate stood up and crossed her arms. She hesitated for a moment before looking at Elijah.

"Why should I trust you?"

"I'm not asking you to trust me yet, but I'm asking you to give me a chance to earn your trust," he replied. "Do you think you could do that?"

"Do I have a choice?" she asked quietly. "You're not going to let me leave, are you?"

"I can't," he sighed. "There are things, many things, you don't know."

She took a deep breath and sat down.

"Fine. Tell me about those things."

He nodded.

"Of course, but perhaps you would like to have something to eat first?"

She couldn't deny that she was hungry.

"You have food?"

He smiled.

"Yes, one of the maids filled the fridge and the freezer."

"Maids?"

"This place needed to be cleaned; I want you to be comfortable here."

"Okay, thanks." She hesitated before continuing. "Those maids… Are they here…willingly?"

"Yes, they are," Elijah assured. "I hired them; they get paid for their work."

Cate nodded.

"I didn't mean to offend you, I just…"

"I understand. You can ask anything you want, I promise to answer truthfully."

"I appreciate that," she murmured. "And yes, I could eat something."

"Of course. After that we have a lot to talk about."


	7. Godforsaken city

**Chapter 7**

 **Godforsaken city**

2 days later

"The city of New Orleans. People of all stripes and flavors from all over the country come here to party on our streets. Some are just looking for fun. Some are looking for something a little darker… more dangerous. So, we invite them into my home and we give it to them. Then, at the stroke of midnight, everything changes. And it's time to feed."

Klaus stood on the balcony with Marcel, watching vampires attacking the partying crowd on the courtyard.

"This is how I keep my guys happy," Marcel continued, looking more than pleased with himself. "The occasional all-you-can-eat buffet. My nightwalkers love it, got them working hard, trying to earn one of these daylight rings. They deserve to blow off a little steam. My daywalkers, the trusted few, they just like to party."

"Hmm," Klaus hummed as he observed the screaming humans who tried desperately to escape. Of course that was useless. "It's quite an operation. Tell me, what about the victims? Seems like a lot of graves to dig."

"Can't kill them all," Marcel replied. "Too many folks go missing, tourism drops. So, we heal them with a little vamp blood, erase their memories, send them on their way. No muss, no fuss."

"I'm impressed," Klaus stated.

Marcel smiled.

"Nothing I didn't learn from you, back in the day."

Klaus smiled as well, although he was very annoyed. He had raised Marcel, took him under his wing, taught him everything and now… Now Marcel had everything Klaus had ever wanted. That didn't sit well with Klaus at all. He refused to admit that he would have been jealous, but he was still going to take back what was rightfully his.

"Marcel," Thierry said as he walked towards him and Klaus.

"What's up, Thierry?" Marcel asked.

"Six of our guys were killed in a bar outside of the Quarter. Nightwalkers. No one saw who."

Klaus suppressed a smile; he had a pretty good guess who had killed those men. Apparently Elijah had made few calls.

* * *

"Now that was fun," Kol hummed as he wiped blood off his face. "Just like good old times. An old fashioned bar fight."

Rebekah smiled, she couldn't deny that she had enjoyed it as well. Those idiots had messed with the wrong people. Rebekah glanced at her reflection in the rearview mirror and licked her bloody lip. She was driving, despite of Kol's protests. He leaned back on his seat and sighed.

"New Orleans… I can't believe I'm here again."

"Me neither," Rebekah murmured.

She most certainly wouldn't have come here if Elijah wouldn't have asked for her help. He was going to become a father. How was that possible? Apparently no one knew the answer to that yet. Of course Rebekah was happy for him and she would do everything she could to help him, but she couldn't deny that she also envied him.

"So, what do you think she's like?" Kol asked after a moment of silence.

"Who?"

"The girl Elijah knocked up."

"Oh right. I don't know, Elijah didn't tell much about her."

"Well, he does have a certain type. You know, Tatia, Katerina, Elena…"

"Yes, he doesn't have a very good taste as far as women are concerned," Rebekah snorted.

Kol grinned.

"I have to agree, sister dear."

"Oh please, like your taste would be any better."

"What, I like pretty little things with sharp tongues. Especially if they know how to use that tongue."

Rebekah rolled her eyes.

"Would you mind? I just ate."

"Oh come on, you're not exactly a chaste lady yourself," Kol chuckled.

"Shut up, Kol."

"I just meant…"

"And I meant what I said; shut up."

"Hmm, someone's in a good mood…"

Rebekah didn't reply to that, she really wasn't in a good mood. The last thing she wanted was to be back in this damn godforsaken city. Once again she had to remind herself why she was here. For Elijah. He had always been there for her, so this was the least she could do for him.

"Oh, I remember this place," Kol stated as they arrived at the old governor's mansion.

Rebekah pressed her lips together; she really didn't want to be here. This house was full of unpleasant memories. She had met Emil, the governor's son, in this house. And she had lost him here, thanks to Nik.

"Well then," Kol hummed cheerfully and got out of the car. "Let's go and say hi."

Rebekah followed him to the front door, he didn't bother to knock.

"Honey, I'm home!" he announced while yanking the door open.

A young woman appeared from the living room, she was looking at Kol and Rebekah cautiously. She was pretty and Rebekah was pleased to notice that she didn't look like Tatia. No olive skin, no doe eyes, no chocolate brown hair… This girl had a pale skin, light blue eyes and light brown hair. She was wearing pink printed top and black Capri pants.

"Hello there," Kol greeted her smiling. "You must be Cate."

"Yes," she replied cautiously. "And you are…?"

Kol zoomed in front of her and took her hand.

"Kol Mikaelson, Elijah's younger and more handsome brother," he purred and kissed her hand.

Rebekah rolled her eyes.

"Where's Elijah?" she asked.

"He had some errand to run, he should be here soon," Cate replied.

"Good," Rebekah huffed. "I'm only here because of him."

"Really, sister?" Nik's voice said. "I'm hurt."

Rebekah turned to face him and crossed her arms.

"Hello, Nik. How is my narcissistic, backstabbing brother?"

"You forgot despotic and delusional," Kol added cheerfully. "Hi, Nik."

"Kol," Nik replied. "Bekah. I assume the six dead vampires were your doing."

"They were very rude," Rebekah huffed. "Weren't they, Kol?"

"Yes, they were. Foolish children didn't have any manners."

"I'm sorry, were they friends of yours?" Rebekah snorted. "No wait, you don't have any friends."

"I do have friends," Nik replied coolly. "Like Marcel for example. You remember him, don't you, sister?"

Nik smiled when Rebekah tensed.

"Yes, of course you do. He fancies himself the king of the Quarter these days and he has these rules about killing vampires. It'll be fun to see what sort of punishment he comes up with for you."

"Oh please," Kol chuckled. "I'm so scared."

"I don't care about Marcel or his rules," Rebekah stated icily. "As I said, I'm only here for Elijah."


	8. Lost

**Chapter 8**

 **Lost**

 _Atlanta, 9 years ago_

 _Cate wrapped her sweater tighter around her, she was cold. Where was Simon, he should have been here 45 minutes ago. Normally she would have been home already, she always had to go straight home from school, but today she had needed to finish her project in the library, so their mother had told Simon to pick her up._

 _He had turned 16 couple of months ago and their father had bought him a car. Cate couldn't imagine that he would have ever bought her a car or anything else for that matter. Simon had always been his favorite and he didn't hesitate to show it. Not that Cate was complaining, she only tried to stay out of her father's sight. At least her mother cared about her. Kind of._

 _She never wanted Cate to go anywhere except school. It was embarrassing, Cate wasn't a little girl anymore, she was 13. When she had been younger, she would have wanted to spend time with other girls after school, but now she didn't really have anyone to spend time with. The other girls and boys called her a freak, mostly because of the clothes her mother made her wear._

 _Ugly pants and shirts that were too big for her, oversized sweaters, long skirts and so on. Why couldn't she wear the same kind of clothes than all the other girls in school? She didn't really care about fashion, but she would have wanted to fit in. Just one pair of jeans and maybe a shirt that would actually be her size._

 _She had seen very cheap jeans in a second hand store, but her mother had refused to buy them. Cate would have gladly earned her own money, but her mother didn't allow that either. Finally Cate had managed to earn the money, 10 dollars, for the jeans and a very pretty shirt by writing an essay for an older boy._

 _She had only wanted one pair of jeans and a nice shirt. When her mother had seen the clothes, she had been furious and she had called Cate a little whore. Then she had told Cate's father who had beaten her so badly that she hadn't been able to go to school for couple of days. Obviously she had never seen the jeans and the shirt again._

 _It felt so unfair, but she feared her father too much to complain. She sighed and tried to call Simon again, but he didn't answer. The library was closed and she had no money for a bus ticket, so apparently she would have to walk home. Great. She was lost in her thoughts and didn't notice a man across the street. He had observed her for a while and now he approached her._

 _"Hello," he greeted her smiling._

 _She startled a little, but tried to remember her manners. Maybe he was someone she had met before._

 _"Hi," she replied and turned to look at him. No, she hadn't met him before. He was in his twenties, a handsome young man. Why was he talking to her?_

 _"I hope I'm not intruding, but is everything alright?" he asked. "You seem lost."_

 _"What? No, no, I'm not lost."_

 _"Oh. Well, you shouldn't walk here alone this late. May I walk you home?"_

 _His smile made Cate blush; she really couldn't understand why someone like him was talking to her._

 _"Thanks, but I… I'm fine."_

 _He looked at her from head to toes and licked his lips._

 _"Yeah, so you are," he hummed. "You smell amazing."_

 _Her eyes widened._

 _"Wha-what?"_

 _She tried to back away when he leaned towards her, but he grabbed her arm._

 _"Your scent… What is it?"_

 _"I'm leaving now…" she squeaked, but he only tightened his grip._

 _"I don't think so, sweetheart. I think you're coming with me."_

 _She was about to panic, he was some kind of a loony._

 _"Let go or I'll scream."_

 _"Why would you do that? I only want to be good to you; I'm not going to hurt you." He paused and leaned closer. "Come with me. I can give you everything you want."_

 _She didn't have time to react when a car stopped next to them._

 _"Cate!" Simon's voice called. "What the fuck are you doing?"_

 _For a brief moment she was sure that she saw black veins under the man's eyes. Simon and couple of his friends got out of the car._

 _"Cate!"_

 _There were few other people observing the situation and a police car was approaching them. The man let go of Cate and took a step back._

 _"My sister's 13 you perv!" Simon snapped._

 _The man didn't say anything; he just turned around and ran away._

 _"Hey!" Simon shouted and signaled the police car to stop._

 _"That pervert harassed my sister! He went that way!"_

 _"Miss?" one of the police officers asked. "Did he hurt you?"_

 _"No," Cate murmured. "He was just… weird."_

 _"Probably a junkie," the other officer huffed. "Let's see if we can catch him."_

 _The police car went after the man, but there was no trace of him. Despite Cate's protests, the officers called her parents who arrived quickly. The look in her father's eyes scared Cate much more than the man. The ride home was dead quiet and the first hit came immediately when they were home. Her mother simply stood there, watching._

 _"You see now," she stated after Cate's father was finished, leaving Cate on the living room floor, curled up into a fetal position._

 _"It's not safe for you out there. That wasn't the only one, there are more of them. Many more."_

 _Cate was sobbing quietly; she didn't know or care what her mother was talking about. Men?_

 _"I've told you not to act like a whore, but you don't listen. Fine, you leave me no choice but to pull you out of school."_

 _"What?"_

 _"You're not going to school anymore, I'll start homeschooling you tomorrow."_

 _"But mom…"_

 _"Shut your mouth," she snapped. "Haven't you already done enough?"_

 _Cate wanted to shout, ask what she had done. What had been her crime? Of course she didn't. She didn't want another beating. She only wanted to be free from this hell._


End file.
